Managing your money and your wellbeing can be stressful at the best of times. With the cost of living continuing to impact our day-to-day lives, it’s a great time to get involved with Leeds Mind’s upcoming Financial Wellbeing Workshops.
These workshops are designed to give you the tools and skills needed to stay in control of your finances and make managing money as easy and stress-free as possible. They are free to sign up to and attend.
The link between money and mental health
Money and mental health are closely linked – financial security (or lack of) has a big impact on our stress levels, our mood and our well-being in general. There are many reasons why we might struggle with money management, whether personal (such as mental health conditions or associated habits and behaviours) or societal (such as the cost of living crisis and cuts to support funding).
Research from Mind suggests that almost half of people have experienced a decline in their mental health due to the cost of living crisis. While the rate of inflation is gradually making its way back down, outgoings remain high and with them, people’s stress and anxiety levels. Rising rent prices, expensive groceries, funding cuts and lack of support all have their part to play in creating financial challenges that can quickly take their toll on our mental health.
Feeling out of control of your finances doesn’t have to become the new normal. Money In Mind financial wellbeing workshops offer resources and support to help you feel at ease about money and set you up for the future.
Money in Mind’s upcoming workshops
We have a range of workshops scheduled for the coming months. These cover everything from budgeting guidance to advice on building financial independence. Many are available to attend in-person and online, so they can work around your life.
Our workshops are created and facilitated by our in-house Money & Mental Health Coach, who has 3 years of experience working both 1-to-1 and in group sessions with clients experiencing money-related mental health challenges. They aim to give attendees a broad range of tools, resources and guidance to boost confidence when it comes to money management.
How to Make Budgeting Easier
Budgeting can feel like a real chore and can be hard to stick to. However, when a budget is implemented properly it can be a great way to manage your finances and ease some financial stress. In our budgeting workshop, we’ll take a look at why budgets succeed or fail. We’ll also explore some of the psychological tips and tricks that can make budgeting easier for you.
Regain Control Over Spending Habits
Spending habits are the patterns and routines we have for spending money. They can be voluntary or involuntary and aren’t necessarily good or bad. Understanding your spending habits and what influences the way that you spend money can help you make sensible choices and understand the impacts better. This workshop shares information on what influences our spending habits, how mental health impacts our finances, and how to gain more control over our spending.
Managing Stress and Building Confidence
As many as 77% of people in the UK are stressed about money but why is it that money can make us feel so easily overwhelmed? Stress and anxiety can make it hard to manage money and in turn, can lead us to put off dealing with money-related situations further and causing them to escalate.
This workshop explores why we find money stressful, and what other factors contribute to feelings of stress and anxiety. In this session, we will also learn tools to help manage finance-related stress and build confidence when tackling money-related tasks.
A Guide For Becoming Financially Independent
Financial independence offers security, freedom and peace of mind, but knowing what steps to take to secure financial independence can be hard. There is much to learn, whether you are:
- looking to build financial independence as a young person leaving home;
- leaving a relationship where your partner handled finances;
- want to brush up on your financial management skills
- In one of the many varied financial situations we see
This workshop is hosted by the financial organisation, Deloitte. It will cover a range of topics that will enable you to make informed financial decisions including; credit scores, rental contracts and home buying, and how to save wisely.
Apps and Tech for Managing Money and Wellbeing
Technology can be really helpful when getting into good money management habits and organised finances can boost your wellbeing. In this workshop, we’ll explore how apps and other technologies can make managing money easier, more convenient and less stressful. We’ll also have a guest speaker from GoodWith Money & Mental Health App.
Maximising Incoming and Minimising Outgoings
Balancing our income and spending can be hard, especially when the cost of living means prices are staying high. This workshop shares insight on the support available around Leeds to help minimise essential costs, as well as quick and simple ways to ensure you are receiving all the income you are entitled to. We will also discuss tips and tricks for saving money, including reducing food shopping bills, negotiating deals with service providers, and reducing energy costs.
What Money in Mind does
Money in Mind is Leeds Mind’s free financial wellbeing service, offering support and information for anyone experiencing financial hardship or associated mental health challenges. Alongside offering free workshops like the ones discussed here, Money in Mind can help the people using its support to find and navigate welfare support available in Leeds and access practical support, such as small grants or food parcels.
Get in touch with the Money in Mind team by phone on 0113 230 2631 (DeLacey House Reception) or email us at MoneyinMind@leedsmind.org.uk to learn more about how we could support you. You can also explore other Leeds Mind services.
